Patent GB-1217528-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in labelling apparatus
IPC: B65C9/28
Filed: 1968-06-12
Abstract: 1,217,528. Labelling apparatus; endless conveyers. JOHANN WEISS MASCHINENFABRIK UND APPARATEBAU G.m.b.H. 12 June, 1968 [13 June, 1967], No. 27849/68. Headings B8A and B8F. A labelling apparatus for articles such as bottles includes a belt or the like 2 (Fig. 1) having label retaining means in the form of suction apertures. Articles 25 to be labelled are transported past the belt by a conveyer 1 travelling at the same speed and in the same direction as the belt, are separated by a conveyer worm 43 and are urged against the belt by counter-pressure means 5 comprising a rigid plate 27 provided with a resilient covering 26 and adjustable by a clamping screw 40 to accommodate articles of various sizes. Separate labels are stored in a container 6, are successively transferred to the belt 2 by an application roller 7, have glue applied to them by means 8, and are adhered to the articles along the run 19 of the belt either by cessation of the suction applied to the apertures or by an air blast from the latter. The application of the label is completed by a rolling action produced by the counter-pressure means as the article completes its transport between the latter and the belt along the conveyer. The belt may comprise an inner toothed rubber belt 15 (Fig. 4, not shown) having teeth meshing with corresponding toothing on at least one sprocket, and an outer rubber belt 14 vulcanized to the first and having sealed in it rubber tubing sections 16 with one or more transversely arranged apertures 24 (Fig. 5, not shown) on the outer face of the outer belt. The upwardly projecting portions 23 of the tubing sections are connected to the conduits leading to valve means. The valve means 111 is situtated in the space surrounded by the circulatory device, rotates at the speed of the latter and conduits connected to pumping apparatus are made of thin-wall rubber tubing which may be reinforced against pressure collapse by means of an insert. For the application of relatively long labels, a multiplicity of apertures (Fig. 7, not shown) extending along the outer belt 14 may be formed, each longitudinal group of which opens into a cavity 17 (Fig. 6, not shown) and thence to the conduits via a channel 39. The cavity is supported by a studded rubber strip 38. Alternatively, a chain 28 (Fig. 2, not shown) may be employed, comprised of segments 22 consisting entirely or partly of rubber plates mounted on a continuously extending backing. The arrangement of apertures and cavities and of the label application and conveyer devices are analogous to that already described. For affixing a number of labels to articles, belts or chains may be disposed one above the other on one or both sides of the conveyer. The counter-pressure means may alternatively be in the form of a belt rotating about guide rollers (Fig. 3, not shown). For the simultaneous application of labels to both sides of and at the same height on round articles, the counter-pressure device may be in the form of one or more belts 9 (Fig. 9) on two guide rollers 10, 11 travelling at the same speed and in the same direction as the belt and conveyer devices, one guide roller being pivotally mounted about the axis 31 on a common frame 29 to move by cam means 32 in step with the arrival of an article on the belt 19 to press the article into a recess 36. The recess may be of constant or varying rectangular cross-section to accommodate various shapes of articles. One label is immediately applied in the manner already described. When the article reaches the end of the run 33 of the belt 9 it is rolled backwards over the trailing edge of the recess on to a second unrecessed label retaining area whereby the second label is applied. Firm affixing of the labels is effected by a rolling motion produced by the conveyer device in conjunction with a soft elastic covering 34 mounted on a fixed member 35 urged towards the circulatory device by the action of a spring 41 in a pedestal 42.